* swinging standard jazz * Erik Applegate – Two’s Company

* swinging standard jazz * Erik Applegate – TWO’S COMPANY: Erik Applegate produced this fine album, as well as playing some superb bass on it; he’s joined by some very well-qualified players; Steve Kovalcheck guitar, Dana Landry and Tom Amend doing piano, Kenyon Brenner on tenor sax and Paul McKee on trombone, and they “rock it” in a most subtle jazz way… just listen to the mellow sax work on “The Key Still Fits” to hear what I’m talking about! The other thing that makes this such a solid album is that several of the tracks are written by the players, and (as I’ve said so many times before), I believe the players’ soul is more deeply involved when it’s an original being played.

Dana’s piano work on the tune he penned, “Leave Me Be“, shows just how mellow these players are… it was a perfect choice for an opener, and I find myself hitting “repeat” on my iPhone constantly as I ride ’round town with this song playing… jazz for the hip folk, no doubt about that!

It was very easy to pick my personal favorite of the ten full-bodied jazz tunes offered up… “Eighty, For Us” was written by Erik, and while his bass leads the track, the high-talent and high-energy of each of the players will give true jazz lovers just what they needed to make their day. I give Erik and crew a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.98 for this splendid jazz excursion. Get more information on the Artist Alliance Records page for the album. Rotcod Zzaj

Dick Metcalf (aka Rotcod Zzaj) is a globe-hopping musician and poet who spent many years roving the world until he finally settled in his current abode, Lacey, Washington... just down the road from Seattle. He started IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION magazine in 1990 (still being published), and Contemporary Fusion Reviews magazine in 2016. He also was a keyboard player & singer for many years... you can hear (and download for free) most of those works at his "Internet Archive Collection"